—Registration Opens Today for City’s Official Design Celebration——Growth in 2015 Programing Sets Stage for New Initiatives in 2016—

New York City (October 27, 2015) —NYC & Company together with New York City officials today announced NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s annual, citywide celebration of design, will be held May 3 to May 17, 2016. Now in its fourth year, NYCxDESIGN highlights New York City’s diverse design community and its contributions to the vitality and economy of the five boroughs. To register for an event for next year’s program and to learn more about NYCxDESIGN, visit nycxdesign.com.

“NYCxDESIGN has strengthened NYC’s image as a design capital, and each year we look forward to supporting the design industry and its impact on New Yorkers and the world,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “From the design schools to the design firms, the industry plays an essential role in the city’s creative and business communities.”

“New York City is a hub for creativity and ingenuity and we are proud to highlight our vibrant design community through NYCxDESIGN. This citywide program celebrates the cutting-edge designers, artists, and entrepreneurs who contribute so much New York City’s place at the forefront of global innovation,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “The New York City Council is proud to support NYCxDESIGN with an $100,000 investment for its expansion and we hope that more New Yorkers and visitors alike can experience the unforgettable talent nurtured right here in New York.”

“NYC’s citywide celebration of design has grown tremendously, cementing the City’s place as a global design capital,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. “There could be no better backdrop than New York City, a hub of creativity and innovation, to stage the fourth annual NYCxDESIGN.”

"A century after the garment industry brought a generation of New Yorkers into the middle class, NYCxDESIGN helps showcase how New York City remains the global capital of design," said New York City Economic Development Corporation President Maria Torres-Springer. "With more designers than almost any other metropolitan area, New York City continues to prove itself as a center for innovation and a hub for the world's most creative talent."

“Art and design are integral to the fabric of neighborhoods across New York City, educating residents and invigorating communities in every borough” said Cultural Affairs Acting Commissioner Edwin Torres. “Each year, NYCxDESIGN provides a great opportunity to highlight the cutting edge work being done in our creative sector, while inviting all New Yorkers and visitors to learn more about how they can engage with our city’s design community each and every day.”

Last year’s NYCxDESIGN featured 564 unique events at 228 locations, double the number of events held in 2014. The events represented 17 design disciplines including digital, furniture, graphic and urban design. Hosted at venues throughout New York City, NYCxDESIGN will include an additional three days of programing and will continue to focus on commerce, culture, education and entertainment with events encompassing exhibitions, installations, trade shows, talks, launches and open studios. Returning NYCxDESIGN participants for 2016 include:

BKLYN DESIGNS

Collective Design

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Frieze Art Fair

ICFF

Museum of Arts and Design

Sight Unseen OFFSITE

WantedDesign

To register for an event for next year’s program and to learn more about NYCxDESIGN, visit nycxdesign.com.

Home to more than 40,000 practicing designers (more than any other metropolitan area in the US), 3,900-plus design firms and 10 prominent design and architecture schools, New York City is one of the world’s design capitals. The design sector has a positive impact on NYC’s economy. Employees in the sector earn an average wage of $86k, and 60% of those employed in the sector earn at least $50k a year. In addition, design employment increased 31% between 2003 and 2013, double the citywide employment growth of 15% over the same period.

In an effort to expand the global impact of NYCxDESIGN and new for the 2015 program, NYCxDESIGN was represented at international design weeks including Milan, Shanghai, Barcelona, and Tokyo. In addition, international design weeks had the opportunity to be involved during NYCxDESIGN, and representation from various designs weeks included Beijing, Ireland, Lima, Mexico, the Netherlands, Paris, Shanghai, Tokyo and Toronto. NYCxDESIGN is a founding member of World Design Week, a worldwide organization of design weeks.

The City offers stylish accommodations for New Yorkers and visitors looking to extend their stay in the City during NYCxDESIGN. The hotels of NYC & Company’s Design Collection exemplify design, from inspiring architecture and cutting-edge interiors to collaborations among top designers, private art collections and culinary adventures. nycgo.com/designcollection.

About NYCxDESIGN:
NYCxDESIGN is New York City’s official annual citywide celebration of design. The event is funded in part by the New York City Council and produced by NYC & Company in conjunction with a steering committee, which includes leaders from major cultural institutions, top design schools and firms, designers and design stakeholders and government officials. Participating design communities include, but are not limited to, architecture, cultural organizations, graphic design, fashion design, product design and manufacturing, engineering, industrial design, interior design, interaction design and landscape and urban design. Last year the celebration featured more than 500 unique events on NYCxDESIGN.com.

About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.